Happy 2025! Instead of just one recipe for January, I decided to look back on some of the cookbooks we added to the collection over the last year. Hopefully you will find some that you would want to explore. I especially enjoy the variety and the new tastes that I have discovered through our cookbooks.
- Date Night Cookbook & Activities for Couples: This one is a fun book. It offers complete menus for different “date nights”, along with activities. I found it gave me a foundation to come up with my own ideas. Although, with recipes like Garlic-Herb Pinwheels (easy) and Peanut Butter Cup Shakes (delightful), I will be using the recipes.
- Easy German Cookbook: Marrying into a German family, I am always looking for simplified German recipes. This cookbook fits that requirement. I won’t be fixing a Christmas goose anytime soon, but the Currywurst reminds my husband of a trip to Germany and the many street cart lunches he enjoyed. And who doesn’t need a recipe for German Pancakes for when you want to make an impressive breakfast?
- Taste of Home All-American Cookbook: I appreciate Taste of Home simply because there’s a good chance I’m going to have all of the ingredients in my kitchen. This cookbook might be my new favorite. The Amish Potato Bread is my new favorite bread recipe. This one stays soft and freezes so nicely. And I still need to make the Apple Pie from the cover (such a simple name for such an incredible-looking pie).
- Baking in the American South: This is a beautiful book. I enjoy the stories that go along with each recipe. So many pound cake options! I will be checking this one out again because three weeks wasn’t long enough to try all of the recipes I marked.
- The Bean Book: Another beautiful cookbook. The Costan Rican Gallo Pinto (which is the picture for this month) is a recipe my daughter and son-in-law had recently told us about, so I was thrilled to try it. Take the time to look for the Salsa Lizano. It makes all the difference. This is another one I will be checking out in the future.
- Half-Baked Harvest Quick and Cozy: I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but it’s hard not to when the cover is a picture of cheesy deliciousness. This is one that is going on my list of cookbooks I just need to own.
- The Complete Book of Air Frying: This one is a smaller book, and I will tell you, is actually not well organized (I think it was quickly put together because of the popularity of air fryers) but the recipes are quick and easy to put together with some new ideas of what you can fix in your air fryer.
This is certainly not a comprehensive list of all of the cookbooks added last year, but just a few that I have enjoyed checking out, some more than once. I know I am looking forward to the new ones we will be ordering for 2025. I can always use more inspiration in the kitchen!